The Goods on Green Beans!

Whether you choose to eat them raw, steamed or marinated in your favourite asian-style sauce, these long green low-calorie vegetables score high in health benefits. Green beans are a great source of vitamin K which is important for maintaining healthy bones. They are also a good source of vitamins A and C as well as dietary fibre which helps lower cholesterol




Dr. Ashely Gordon is a Squamish-based Naturopathic Physician and owner of Garibaldi Health Clinic, an integrative health care facility offering safe and effective care including Naturopathic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Massage, Midwifery and Physical Therapy. Dr. Gordon’s treatments focus on the whole person, from the physical and mental to the emotional and spiritual realms. To learn more about what Naturopathic Medicine can do for you, or to make an appointment, visit www.garibaldihealthclinic.com or call 604 898 1999.

Arugula, Potato and Green Bean Salad

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

Serves 4-8, depending on how much everyone wants to eat

INGREDIENTS
 
1/3 cup ounce walnuts or almonds
1 1/2 pounds fingerling or other new potatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
6 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch segments
2 tablespoons white wine or other mild vinegar
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces baby arugula

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°. Toast nuts toast in oven until fragrant and slightly browned, about 8 minutes. Cool, chop and set aside.
 
Boil potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside to cool.
 
Boil another pot of water; add green beans, and cook until tender and bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer beans to bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside. 

Whisk together vinegar, yogurt, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; season with pepper. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified.
 
Arrange arugula, potatoes, and green beans on a platter or bowl. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with toasted nuts; toss to coat. Enjoy!

Double-Sesame Green Beans

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs green beans, ends trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup tahini
2 limes, juiced and zested
A dash or two of your favourite hot sauce
1 tsp tamari
1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS

Put the green beans into a large pan with a tight-fitting lid and add a big splash of water and a splash or two of olive oil. Cover and heat over high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, until bright green and tender. When the water evaporates and the beans are tender, the remaining olive oil will begin to sizzle. If you like you may remove the lid and continue to cook for a few minutes, thus lightly browning the beans.

In the meantime, whisk the sesame oil, tahini, lime juice and zest, hot sauce, tamari, and honey together until smooth. When the beans are done place them on a serving plate and drizzle them with the dressing. Serve hot.

Lemon-Mint Green Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb green beans, ends trimmed
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 1/3 of a lemon
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1/4 tsp garlic, pressed
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
160 g feta, crumbled
2 ears of corn, grilled and kernels cut from cob
Fresh chopped mint for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a tablespoon of salt. Add the green beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. In the meantime, prepare a bowl of ice water. At 4 minutes, quickly toss one green bean into the ice water. If it is crisp-tender, drain the green beans and add them to the ice water immediately to stop the cooking. If not done to your taste at 4 minutes, cook the beans for one more minute, then move to the ice bath. After a few minutes in the ice water, drain the beans and pat dry.

Make the dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the green beans, tomatoes, feta, and corn in a large bowl. Sprinkle on additional chopped fresh mint if using.

Green Bean Salad with Fresh Mint

INGREDIENTS

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
8 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Bring a pot of salted water up to a rolling boil and blanch the beans for about 4 minutes, until tender-crisp. Drain and rinse in cold water until completely cooled. Drain very well and place in a large zip-lock plastic bag.

Add the rest of the ingredients, press out most of the air, and seal the bag. Shake the bag to mix the ingredients well and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavours combine. Serve cold.

Green Beans with Mustard

INGREDIENTS

3/4 lb green beans, trimmed
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp stone ground mustard
Sea salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Fill a bowl with ice water.

Cook beans in a large pot of salted boiling water just until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain beans and transfer to ice water. Drain well in a colander and pat dry.

Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Saute beans with mustard and salt and pepper, stirring, until heated through, about 4 minutes.

Eggplant Casserole

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1 eggplant, sliced
2 cups cooked rice
1 lb zucchini, sliced
1 cup sliced green beans
Bread crumbs (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Remove from heat, add the oregano, and mix well.

Place the eggplant slices on the bottom of a baking dish. Pour the sautéed mixture over it. Add the cooked rice, then the zucchini and green beans. Sprinkle with the dried bread crumbs. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Lotsa Beans Salad

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut diagonally in thirds
2 cans mixed beans, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, diced
5 green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Steam beans, covered, in steamer basket over boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Rinse under cold water and drain well.

Combine green beans, canned mixed beans, tomatoes, and green onions in a large bowl.

Whisk remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over salad and mix gently.

Serves 4 to 6.

Green Beans in Garlic Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 lb green beans, whole
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
Sea salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Over medium heat, boil the green beans in a 10-inch skillet, until they are just tender.

Drain the beans and return to the skillet.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.

Used as a side dish, this recipe makes about 4 servings.